Trib HSSN 2021-22 WPIAL Class 3A girls basketball preseason breakdown

By: Don Rebel
Tuesday, December 7, 2021 | 6:40 PM

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After beating Mohawk twice in the regular season, North Catholic looked ready to be fitted for a WPIAL girls basketball crown for the 21st time. However, in a district title game eyebrow-raiser, the Warriors upset the Trojans, 54-48, to bring the first basketball championship back to Bessemer.

Here is a rundown of players to watch, top teams and other notables in WPIAL 3A girls basketball this season.

Preseason Player of the Year

Dacia Lewandowski, North Catholic

5-8, Jr., guard

13.1 ppg last season

Players to watch

Alayna Rocco, North Catholic

5-10, So., G, 13.6 ppg

Regan Atkins, Laurel

6-1, Jr., G, 14.6 ppg

Emma Seto, Brownsville

5-10, Sr., G, 21.4 ppg

Kaley Rohanna, Waynesburg

6-1, So., G, 16.4 ppg

Maddie Graham, South Park

5-7, Jr., G, 13.0 ppg

Preseason Top 5

1. North Catholic (18-3 last season)

North Catholic was one win away from “one for the thumb” and a fifth straight WPIAL girls basketball championship. However, the Trojans were stunned in the finals by Section 1 foe Mohawk, a team the Trojans beat twice in the regular season. North Catholic returns several key players from an 18-3 season including junior guard Dacia Lewandowski (13.1 ppg) and sophomore guard Alayna Rocco (13.6 ppg).

2. Laurel (18-3)

Laurel went down to the wire in Section 1 with North Catholic last year, but the Trojans held off the Spartans. The same scenario happened when the two teams met in the WPIAL semifinals with North Catholic ending Laurel’s 18-3 season. The Spartans will have to battle North Catholic again this winter. Laurel returns junior Regan Atkins.

3. South Park (11-3)

The Eagles were flying high with a 9-2 record last season when the program had to shut down after a Feb. 11 game. South Park played only three more games the rest of the season, which ended with a 15-point loss to Laurel in the WPIAL quarterfinals. The reigning Section 2 champs look like the team to chase again with the return of junior guard Maddie Graham.

4. Waynesburg (13-6)

Coming into the final games of the regular season, Waynesburg was looking for a road win over South Park to earn a share of the Section 2-3A crown. The Raiders came up a point short, 45-44, and settled for second place. After a first-round win, the season ended with a three-point loss to Beaver Falls. Waynesburg is optimistic for another strong season with a pair of first team all-section performers returning in senior Clara Paige Miller and sophomore Kaley Rohanna.

5. Keystone Oaks (11-8)

After suffering through a 6-15 campaign two years ago, Keystone Oaks returned to challenge for a section title last season, finishing in second place behind Brentwood in Section 3-3A. The Golden Eagles will have to fill some big shoes after the graduation of Lexy Wagner, but ready to help fill that void is last year’s leading scorer, junior guard Eriona Neal.

Notable

• It might not have been as improbable as the 3A run by Ellwood City in boys basketball, but not many expected Mohawk to raise a championship when the WPIAL 3A girls basketball playoff began. The Warriors finished in third place in Section 1-3A and were 0-2 against North Catholic in the regular season. But the Warriors beat the Trojans in the third meeting, 54-48, in the 3A finals, to win the program’s first championship. Mohawk reached the PIAA finals before losing to West Catholic in Hershey.

• One-third of the 3A schools switched up their bench bosses in the offseason as seven new coaches will debut this weekend. Among the seven are a couple of district girls basketball legends as Jonna Burke leaves Bethel Park to take over at Shady Side Academy and former Vincentian coach Ron Moncrief takes over defending champion Mohawk. The other five new coaches are Dena Noble at Ellwood City, Renee Drake at Riverside, Andrew Kurzawski at McGuffey, Steve Limberiou at South Park and Steve Mittereder at South Allegheny.

• The WPIAL decided to have an open tournament format for their postseason last year with the pandemic keeping several teams from finishing their section schedule. Three of the 21 schools (Shady Side Academy, Bentworth and Riverside) decided not to participate. Section 1 absolutely dominated the postseason, with four of the six teams reaching the semifinals, and the combined record of the six Section 1 teams a whopping 12-5. Section 2 teams were a combined 4-6 while Section 3 struggled with a 1-6 record.

• Only two current Class 3A girls basketball programs have won more than one WPIAL 3A championship. North Catholic leads the way with 10 titles, all coming back when it was Class AAA. South Park has won three 3A titles. Four others have one district championship each in 3A: Beaver Falls, Steel Valley, Washington and Mohawk. Any other titles won were in a different classification.

Alignment

Section 1: Beaver Falls, Ellwood City, Freedom, Laurel, Mohawk, North Catholic, Riverside

Section 2: Bentworth, Brownsville, Charleroi, McGuffey, South Park, Washington, Waynesburg

Section 3: Avonworth, Brentwood, East Allegheny, Keystone Oaks, Shady Side Academy, South Allegheny, Steel Valley